


Grief

by AlwaysFanfiction



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: El's sad, Everyone's sad, Gen, Grief/Mourning, i'M SAD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 22:46:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19733212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysFanfiction/pseuds/AlwaysFanfiction
Summary: El did not understand grief.





	Grief

The loss of Hopper was hard on El. It was not something she had ever considered happening. After closing the gate she thought she would be safe, her family too, but she had been wrong. Closing the gate had done nothing to stop the death and corruption. She thought she could finally be a normal girl. Go on dates with Mike. Have sleepovers and talk about girly things with Max. Play D&D with the party. Have movie nights with Hopper. After all the pain she went through, she thought that was the life she had been promised. But now the gate had been reopened. The Mind Flayer was free again, and Hopper… was dead.

In the facility, El was closed off from the world. She knew very little, barely able to speak, and even her two years spent free of confinement, was not enough for her to catch up on everything. One of things she had never been taught, was how to grieve.

She had seen people on TV be sad and even depressed when someone died. She saw the same reaction in Joyce when Bob had been killed. But El never saw what she did behind closed doors, and whenever Joyce was around her, she put on a fake smile. The people on TV were no help either. Their feelings always turned to anger, and they would go hunt down the one that caused their loved one’s death for revenge. But El never felt anger like they did, and even if she did, there was no one to get revenge on.

El only felt a deep ache inside that never went away and sadness that made her want to cry all the time. And when she didn’t feel either of those emotions, she felt completely empty, like she was hollow on the inside and couldn’t do anything. The only time those feelings lessened, was when Mike came over and held her tight in his arms.

El did not understand grief, but there was one person she had seen grieve before, so she grieved in the only way she knew how.

“Hello… Hop are you there?”

“…”

“It’s me… El.”

“…”

“I-It’s day 13…”

“…”

“I miss you…”

Only static came through the speaker as El wept.

**Author's Note:**

> So what did you think? I had this idea almost immediately after finishing the season and I had to write it. I feel like the only way El would understand how to grieve is the way Mike did for her, because it is the only example she ever had.
> 
> I am completely new to the fandom. I binged the first 2 seasons on July 1st and binged the 3rd with everyone else on the 4th, I wish I hadn't waited so long, because I love it! El and Mike are so freakin cute, I normally don't ship the cannon ship because I just don't see the chemistry, but here... I love them so much!
> 
> If you have any fic recommendations please let me know.
> 
> I hated Steve in the 1st season, but then in the 2nd season I apologized for my sins. (He's a pretty damn good babysitter.)
> 
> Anyway, let me know your thoughts, I'm excited to join the fandom!


End file.
